tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75560521341187786632018-10-12T01:13:15.579-07:00Our Inflatable HomeTravels in an inflatable tentOur Inflatable Homenoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-31697307247802371692016-08-04T02:23:00.001-07:002016-08-04T02:23:46.772-07:00MAP: 12 WEEKS<img alt="Map: 12 weeks" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7658/28142748323_60fb395dee_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><br />Miles travelled: 5782<br />Nights in a tent: 83<br />Number of campsites: 24<br />Countries visited: 6<br />Amount spent on road tolls: €268.20<br />Amount spent on campsites: €1628.88<br />Pastries eaten: 1000 (roughly)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It's taken me a little while to put this post up, part of me is reluctant to admit our European adventure is over and the other part is busy getting ready for the next bit of our life - moving to a new place/new jobs etc which is all very exciting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The stats above are quite pleasing to look at, what an adventure we had! Im quite surprised we managed 83 nights in a tent and I can't believe how much the road tolls cost. Also living in a tent for 3 months is pretty much the equivalent to ones months rent in London...crazy!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm so proud our little car managed to get us through 6 countries, up some pretty hairy mountain roads and almost 6,000 miles, what a little trooper! We're currently trying to find somewhere to live again before we head back out in the tent - we're also a bit reluctant to venture out in high season (not that you'd know with this weather!) but we have missed our tent and are looking forward to documenting our travels once more. If anyone has any top campsite recommendations (anywhere in Britain) then please do send them our way. We're hoping to put a tab on the top of this site with ones we recommend which we can keep adding to, as even though there are all these campsite finder websites out there...they're all a bit crap really! </div><br /><br /><br />Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-67046093854027064922016-07-24T14:11:00.000-07:002016-07-24T14:11:20.938-07:00OUR LAST STOP IN EUROPE<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Ieper" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7566/28444483471_5af7be773f_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So here we are, the last stop on our mainland Europe trip. Holy moly. We decided to make Ieper our last stop before getting the ferry back, when we were in Holland we watched a series called Our World War on iPlayer which we really enjoyed so figured we would learn more about the war and visit the places it took place in. We stayed at<a href="http://www.jeugdstadion.be/E/" target="_blank"> Camping Jeugdstadion</a>, which like the Bruge one had a self check in service, brilliant! The site is just a 5 minute walk from the centre of Ieper, so the night we arrived we walked in and was able to attend the Last Post held at Menin Gate which was quite moving - especially the choir. We drove out to Sanctuary Wood museum which has the original British trenches still in place and some of the original trees that were completely blown to pieces. It was really quite eerie and very very still and silent. So fascinating to be able to walk through the trenches though, like, actual real trenches that 100 years ago were being occupied. Crazy!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Ieper" height="1024" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8879/27906477373_ffa9719a84_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">For the very last day of our trip we visited the Flanders Field Museum in the centre of Ieper which is a great exhibition, very informative and interactive (quite similar to the brilliant one at Imperial War museum in London), we explored Ieper a little, read a lot of the names carved in the memorial at Menin Gate and then went back to the tent to freak out that our return was getting ever closer.&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Ieper" height="1024" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8724/28444495141_66e3a0352c_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Weirdly, I am writing this post whilst sat at my mums house and we're not freaking out anymore! Hurray! We got the ferry over yesterday and sadly witnessed all the people stuck in the 14 hour traffic trying to make their way into Dover, we felt so sorry for them, what a mess!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although this might have been our last stop this is not the last post of our blog. I have a few more coming up over the next few days with more info on our trip and our plans for where we're camping next - and I have to put up the completed Europe map of course! We'll also keep this blog for any camping trips we do in the future and we'll put up a page of campsites we recommend - as finding a good campsite can be pretty tricky!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although its sad our big trip is over, we were ready to come back and begin part 2 of our adventure...</div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-3243400710350230612016-07-24T13:40:00.000-07:002016-07-24T13:40:36.135-07:00BELGIUM: BRUGES<div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3171" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8681/28443917531_521427403f_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For our first campsite in Belgium we stayed at <a href="http://www.brugescamping.be/nl/home" target="_blank">Camping Memling&nbsp;</a>which is about a 30 minute walk from Bruges. Neither of us have been to Bruge before, we went to Brussels last year which was err... ok (read as: we won't be going back any time soon) so we were looking forward to exploring. The campsite was the first one we've seen with a self check in service. A little computer screen for you to pick the pitch and to pay with a credit card - no interaction with a human needed at all! I think they do it as the site has such a high turn around and people are pitching up right up until 10 o clock in the evening, lots of backpackers and campers on bikes and so many Brits! It's quite strange going from barely any Brits at all at any of the sites to the majority being from the UK.&nbsp;</div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3212" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8620/28489754126_b07b2807df_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3214" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8714/28237979440_371fb31eed_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div>We had two nights here and because we were on the small tent pitch we had to put the Banshee up instead of our inflatable one which I actually really love sleeping in - its so cosy!&nbsp;</div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3213" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8622/28237983580_b675e0f1c6_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3220" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8735/27904857204_b5ee0055d5_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We explored Bruges which turned out to be one of the most expensive places we visited on the trip, very lovely and quaint though and packed full of tourists but the restaurant prices did mean we had to get a baguette and some cheese to eat on a bench!</div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3207" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8745/28415815412_eb162d00af_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3204" height="1024" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8710/28415835362_604037c9cb_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3192" height="1024" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7644/28489830786_f5bb9f5d59_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3183" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8660/28489859176_febfd8d5bc_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3177" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7624/28521570905_99b2998d2d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was very handy having the campsite so close by so would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a stop over from the ferry or wanting to explore Bruges. And that leads us into our last stop of our mainland Europe trip...</div></div></div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-17866848023364402682016-07-20T07:44:00.003-07:002016-07-20T11:26:42.102-07:00HOLLAND: AMSTERDAM<div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home" height="768" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8793/28402269166_26818fe520_b.jpg" width="1024" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />Our last stop in Holland was in Haarlem near Amsterdam. We chose this site (<a href="https://www.campingdelakens.com/" target="_blank">Camping de Lakens</a>) as we could get a bus from outside the campsite and then a 15 minute train in to the centre of Amsterdam. And honestly...I would only recommend this campsite if your main priority is staying close to Amsterdam, don't be fooled by the lure of the sand dunes!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I only took pics of the tent at the site on my phone as I didn't want to get sand in my camera but you get the idea. The site is the biggest we have stayed on this trip, actually its the biggest site I have ever seen I think. It took us about 15 minutes to walk from the reception up to our pitch and the receptionist told me the previous day (a Saturday) the site was full at 4pm. It is next to the sea (hi England!) and Holland are officially on their summer holidays now...joy! When we arrived there were only a few pitches left she said, tapped away at the computer and then quoted us €47 a night PLUS tourist tax. Ermmm...not quite in our budget I'm afraid, so I asked if there was anything cheaper she said if we had a small tent we could go on the sand in a little section right at the top of the site for only €32 a night...only!&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home" height="1024" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8464/27818405424_d381acd17f_b.jpg" width="768" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Luckily we have brought a back up tent on our trip, as we weren't sure how the big one would hold out being put up and down so much. Its a small 3 man Vango Banshee which can only fit us and a bottle water in but its perfect for situations like this. As we were camped on the sand - a first for us, we didn't cook but decided to stock up on nibbles and ate at the restaurant one night as sand just gets everywhere!<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home" height="1024" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8845/27818696323_06cce6c161_b.jpg" width="768" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went to Amsterdam which was beautiful and lovely and I'd definitely like to go back to explore more another time. We went to the tulip museum and had a very tasty veggie hot dog</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8770/28432408845_38a8bd2479_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8781/28327565862_9cec11cfc2_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8749/27816167493_3e9a22f091_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7667/28432371295_91a02510b9_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />And generally just mooched around enjoying/melting in the 30 degree heat!<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8765/28327543382_32c7a619ce_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="1024" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8788/28353678981_b3b7c6f587_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8265/28149408130_3ef746b5f1_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Amsterdam" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8868/28327562462_06c093f9bb_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So that was our last stop in Holland before we headed to Belgium where we are now. We visited wetlands, the woods and the seaside in Holland so we definitely got a good taste for it and it is such a beautiful country. Its just such a shame the ferry from Holland to Hull/Newcastle costs over £350, nobody can justify those costs when the eurotunnel is about £80! Oh, one thing that did seem odd in Holland is that mopeds and small motorbikes can use the cycle lane, travel about 35mph and don't legally need to where a helmet!! Crazy!</div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-10275391288721462432016-07-20T07:44:00.001-07:002016-07-20T07:44:31.842-07:00HOLLAND: LEERSUM<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8371/28432275825_c041078b5d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After our stay in Heeg we headed slightly further south to a place called Leersum not too far away from Utrecht. We stayed at <a href="http://www.molecaten.nl/landgoed-ginkelduin" target="_blank">Molecaten Park</a> campsite which we didn't realise was a Centre Parcs style site when researching places to stay. We were pretty apprehensive as there were only 3 spots left when we arrived...and there were A LOT of pitches...which means a lot of people and a lot of noise! But we actually had a really nice stay and managed to get a pitch that was fairly secluded. We hired some bikes for the day and went exploring around the local area, we slightly detoured and ended up taking the bikes that are pretty much only suitable for flat road surfaces through the woods...might need to get a mountain bike next time!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8774/28149335800_642f39e0a0_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8694/28432279765_3139e7b463_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8640/28399677956_2ac034cebf_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />We found a camp shop where we bought a new rug for the tent<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7752/28432270625_6cb8d4c895_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />And also found our dream caravan waiting for us, one day we will own an Eriba!<br /><img alt="Eriba" height="666" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8676/27816593853_fe2fe0f0a2_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And then we just hung out at the tent and relaxed, we only stayed for a couple of nights so it went quickly. Despite how big the site is I would definitely recommend it, especially if you've got kids - there was so much for them to do.</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8892/28353603751_5c9c7577fc_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Leersum" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8569/28399680796_a82b6a4e1b_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh and this is real life camping - washing hung up all over the tent because there's no trees to attach the washing line to and the dryer costs €4!</div><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-3089" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8581/28353601871_5de9190731_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-28592894020049137852016-07-16T09:20:00.000-07:002016-07-16T09:20:16.292-07:00HOLLAND: HEEG<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8791/27725878124_13e2e1a814_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />Our first stop in Holland was in a little town called Heeg (pronounded 'hey'...I think!) at a campsite called <a href="http://www.watersportcampingheeg.frl/" target="_blank">Watersportcamping Heeg</a>, which as I mentioned in our last post was kindly recommended to us (thanks Jill!). Karin who owns the site gave us such a warm welcome, she asked about us - where we had come from and what we do for a living, genuinely interested about us. As I mentioned I am a photographer she suggested that we stay there for 3 nights for free in return for some pictures of the site which was a huge help to us.<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8686/28341850295_c7febe945c_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8717/28341849445_5841ac4128_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="1024" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8887/28341848715_c5556733b5_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />The site was lovely, very peaceful and perfect if you own a boat/canoe as you could hop straight in the water from where you are camped.<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8783/28238455892_1b7781e036_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7324/28238455162_39be1390b7_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jocrawford/28238454632/in/photostream/" nbsp="" title="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8747/28238454632_3ccb5735f5_b.jpg" width="1000" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8678/28341853765_b21bd82574_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />We hired a couple of bikes for the day, cycled in to the nearest city that was 11km away...had a sausage roll and then cycled back...its safe to say my legs were paying for it the next day (and my bum!).<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7654/28341846125_a4f1b47028_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="1024" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8774/28308242376_fa7128dbd4_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8714/27725876354_6f56e4c002_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />It did get really windy here though and our poor tent was really being put to the test, the weather reminded us of when we set off on this trip...not only have we done a full circle on the map but we have with the weather too!<br />Heeg is a really lovely place that I would definitely recommend for a visit if you're in the area, it almost has a seaside vibe to it with restaurants and quaint little shops, its only tiny but it even has free wifi available in the streets. Fancy! The area is very similar to the Norfolk Broads, lots of water and very very flat.<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Heeg" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7666/27725876044_a0b176e046_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />So after 3 nights there we have headed slightly further south...only a week a couple of days of mainland Europe left....eek!<br /><br />Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-14618271895110365752016-07-16T04:53:00.002-07:002016-07-16T04:53:43.631-07:00MAP: 11 WEEKS IN<img alt="Our Inflatable Home - 11 weeks" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8843/28341641245_6b6dd251b7_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-69038707367448187302016-07-14T02:48:00.002-07:002016-07-14T02:48:46.898-07:00GERMANY, RHINE<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Rhine" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8678/28165979221_5f385a48aa_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">As we are planning our route as we go, it can get a little confusing as to where we go next and the best places to visit in that area. From the Black Forest we wanted to head further north so we could eventually arrive in to Holland and then work our way down through Belgium so we can get the Eurotunnel back home. We settled on a campsite just near the Rhine which had some really good reviews…I’m not quite sure where these people stayed but it couldn’t have been at this site! It pretty much consisted of a long strip of grass with a very 60s sanitary block included. The tent area was basically that bit of grass that is usually forgotten about at the side of the road. So we squeezed on and decided just to stay 2 nights so we would have a whole day to explore the area. We headed into the town of St Goar which is on the Rhine and walked around, looking in shop windows and admiring the view.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Rhine" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8655/27962995280_15101c69af_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Rhine" height="1024" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8742/28139659732_86b51526b9_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Rhine" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8641/28165960621_91a4dc10da_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Rhine" height="1024" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8867/27628427594_83c69e59ab_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Rhine" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7454/28139652462_42d7c238f5_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We then walked up to the castle and mooched around there for a bit….and then…it seemed we were done, not much else to see. So we walked back to the campsite and made a cup of tea and realised it was only 1pm and we didn’t really know what to do with the rest of the day!&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">I’m sure there are plenty of other things to see along the Rhine but castle ruins and small towns with not much in them don’t really float our boat that much.&nbsp; So we planned our next campsite, we were hoping to fit in another stop in Germany but we were a bit lost as to where to go next. As we were looking at the map and kept finding areas that looked like a good last stop before Holland, the campsites were either huge holiday parks or had terrible reviews…or even worse - huge holiday parks with terrible reviews!&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Earlier in the week we received a lovely email recommending a site in Holland as they had just come from there and had had a lovely time. So we decided to head up there as we no longer had the brain power to try and find a nice site…and that’s how we only did 3 stops in Germany!</div><br /><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">But Holland is loooovely….</div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-67855976381174559942016-07-09T12:28:00.002-07:002016-07-09T12:28:30.904-07:00BLACK FOREST, GERMANY<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7294/27559575074_ee098ebf2e_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We have come to the end of our stay in the Black Forest and it has been so nice, we really have loved it! The campsite is great, <a href="http://www.camping-langenwald.com/en/" target="_blank">Camping Lagenwald</a> (ACSI rated it number 6 in Germany), very peaceful - depending where you’re camped, and exactly what you would want from staying in the Black Forest…surrounded by trees!&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-2879-2" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8783/28095090862_5e5437982f_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">See!</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">Originally we were going to stay for 3 nights but extended it to 5 as we were enjoying it so much - and to be honest, we needed a bit of a rest. Putting the tent up and down every 3 days can start to wear a little thin!&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-2882" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7651/28164687266_2645432177_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-2896" height="1024" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8649/28198530515_06de9e1fae_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Whilst we've been here we have been on some great walks around the nearby forest, we did a 12km one day (hell yeah!) and an 8km one the next in to the nearest town of Freudenstadt.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7653/28141158806_8572b3a624_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7554/28141112046_f10789b3fc_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We drove out to Freiburg for the day to have a wander around, its about an hour and a half from the campsite so not too bad of a drive. Freiburg is a beautiful medieval style city, with amazing buildings of such great pastel shades. We had a mooch around the market and the winding streets enjoying the sunshine and the sites.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7545/27559850774_d102836e18_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="1024" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7394/28175843785_4f0e25c7a9_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7322/28141446926_75200092ab_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7587/27559910374_55c458c1cd_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7337/27894469100_b78f66046a_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="1024" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7300/28141229506_03c633f92f_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7440/27559532994_bc621bdb3f_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">And of course we had to hunt down a Black Forest gateaux! We did a little research online and various websites said that Cafe Schmidt was the place to go so we hot footed our way over there and decided to treat ourselves to a cuppa and some cake to eat in instead of takeaway, fancy.</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="1024" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7596/27560128393_084a5eafd7_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7658/28175626085_24ea57e11d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Black Forest" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7398/28141204346_9ed36183a1_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Well. The gateaux was fine - very creamy, we also had a fruit tart which was delicious but it turned out the ONE mug of early grey tea I ordered that came with ONE tea bag cost a whopping €4.80! I've never seen such daylight robbery before. But anyway, being the very British folk that we are we paid up and left muttering under our breath. That'll show em! (But seriously, the cake is fine, not really worth going out of your way for.)</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">So that is the end of our stay here. Tomorrow we head further north to a site on the Rhine for a few days and then after that we should be heading in to the Netherlands. We think that we will leave mainland Europe in a couple of weeks and then head over to the UK for more camping - hopefully up to Scotland! And also to find jobs and somewhere to live...yikes!&nbsp;</div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-6818721000322440712016-07-07T09:40:00.000-07:002016-07-07T09:40:38.067-07:00MUNICH, GERMANY<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7320/28132973855_6fdb12a38f_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeeeehaaa! We are in Germany (technically we have been for a few days now but only just catching up on this blog). It feels very weird to be closer to home and we really only have a couple more weeks left then we'll be back in the UK where we shall (hopefully) be camping our way around England and Scotland if all goes well.&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7376/28098663666_f4f05f861d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Our first stop in Germany was just outside Munich at a campsite called <a href="http://www.camping-pilsensee.de/" target="_blank">Camping Pilsensee</a>&nbsp;which has a beautiful lake that is open to the public and restaurant/bar area and even paddle boards for hire. The site didn't get very good reviews so we were a little apprehensive but it turned out fine and would recommend if you're looking for somewhere to stay so you can easily access Munich. We arrived on the Saturday and it was heaving with campers, we pitched up on a big field away from the camping on the lake (which looked more like a festival) and was surrounded by large groups of families with tents - I'd say about 30 tents in total.</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7442/28029354692_653f1614c2_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It was actually perfectly pleasant and had quite a nice vibe about it so we got some drinks from the campsite shop, made some tea and set out for a jolly nice evening...well...one whole bottle of wine for me later (I'm <i>really</i> not a drinker) and a fair few bottles of beer for Steven and I pretty much passed out until the next day which I then spent bringing that whole bottle of wine (and some more) back up again! The day was pretty much a write off for us and when we emerged from the tent we found all the tents and the families had packed up and gone! We were the only tent in this huuuuge field and remained the only tent for the rest of our stay which seemed to amuse the caravaners who were crammed in to their pitches!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7499/27517538394_a3fe4531c9_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The day after the hangover from hell we headed in to Munich by train, it cost us about €24 for both of us return which we thought a little pricey but then we were a 50 minute journey away so I guess its not too bad. But we really enjoyed Munich! I can imagine it being a little...ermm...busy in Oktoberfest but very nice this time of year! In some ways it reminded us of parts of London, there was a station that looked exactly like Clapham Junction and they even made everyone cram into 2 carriages instead of the standard 4 on the train home which was very reminiscent of my commute home from work...memories!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="1024" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7350/28133039655_41ec81b6ef_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7330/28098333036_297eb1b335_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7422/28133083125_004c62bb3d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7370/27852173680_3e7709285e_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7372/28098552566_64a1c69b38_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7556/27517526483_deeb4bb351_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7423/28029539592_8e0d5b03e5_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We generally just mooched about taking it all in, we visited the beer gardens and got some food (a bratwurst for me!). We walked through the park which was very beautiful (minus the naked sunbathers) and came across some surfers on the River Eisbach who we watched for ages. Such a good use of space!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="1024" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7326/28054813031_f5d4b24356_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7271/28029563312_1b3a34e6ac_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7491/28098649746_be131eb9cb_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And I think that was pretty much it before we took the train back to the campsite. The next day we packed up and headed over to the Black Forest where I'm currently writing this!&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Munich" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7374/28029594622_3c716dec65_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-39534708793697932092016-07-07T08:45:00.002-07:002016-07-07T08:45:27.869-07:00MAP: 9 1/2 WEEKS IN<img alt="Map 9 and a half weeks" height="768" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7308/28074584951_c4a162b393_b.jpg" width="1024" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-86131244711611735652016-07-05T13:28:00.000-07:002016-07-05T13:28:29.776-07:00LAST STOPS IN AUSTRIA<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7401/27965620176_58e34703f4_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We haven't had a good internet connection for a little while so I'm just catching up now. We have made it to Germany, hurrah! But I still have some Austria pictures left to show you...</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="1024" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7405/27965621256_0c9d63bf47_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Our second stop in Austria was at <a href="http://www.camping-neunbrunnen.at/" target="_blank">Camping Neunbrunnen </a>which felt really secluded and I kept losing my bearings of where we was. Every time we opened the tent doors it was just the countryside staring back (above). The site was filled mostly with permanent caravans and was pretty quiet but I think its because it is no longer ski season! Aha, might explain a few things. It's just down the road from Zell am See which has a huge lake and is lovely to walk around, or even get a boat.&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7325/27720300980_2d19eb3759_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="1024" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7540/27965620966_7fc70d6b3c_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7591/27387061064_9aa7110ea0_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We went on some great walks around the campsite though and was treated to some picture postcard views everywhere we looked.&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7462/27720300860_a8bbb95704_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />Just look at those mountains!<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Zell am See" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7532/27965620296_81918ba4b2_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After a couple of quiet days there we headed to our last stop in Austria, <a href="http://birkenstrand.at/" target="_blank">Camping Birkenstrand</a>&nbsp;which was set right on Lake Wolfgang and is super beautiful. Equally as beautiful as the lakes in Italy and a place we'd definitely recommend to come on holiday.&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7390/27407627453_f720aebbe8_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="1024" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7136/27919249962_8094212063_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />We spotted our new house<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7099/27919250042_910bdf7045_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And again we went for some lovely walks near the campsite into the woods and generally just pottered around for a couple of days. We stayed for three nights and our last night was charged at full price (it is no longer ACSI season) which was certainly a taste of things to come in Germany...&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7428/27741191160_96e5299d93_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="1024" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7338/27919250162_a746d69960_b.jpg" width="683" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We really haven't seen much of Austria at all and we can't wait to come back and explore more, in summer and winter! We really loved Austria as a country in general, it is really beautiful, its cheap and we didn't find it to be super packed with tourists. What more could you want?!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7359/27741190640_8e0eba6a75_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Austria" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7436/27407627103_416cf17831_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">With our loose schedule we could only really fit in 9 days of travel in Austria - also the vignette tax thing we bought lasted for 10 days and we didn't really want to buy a new one just for a couple of extra days stay. So we were sad to leave Austria... but Germany was a calling...!</div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-17469861447439956842016-06-28T11:54:00.000-07:002016-06-28T11:54:18.016-07:00THOUGHTS ON CAMPING: 2 MONTHS IN<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Camping favourites, 2015" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/2/1705/26129446531_9705f230bb_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We are now 2 months in to our trip (we're half way through, eeek!) and I wanted to talk about our findings so far and how we have found camping in Europe…</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7397/27430459380_ebe0b60e8d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">First of all, camping is obviously a really cheap way of travelling. On average out of season it has been costing us about €19 a night, sometimes a couple of euros more or sometimes less. Even with the price of the euro going up for us... We have an ACSI card which was recommended to me before I left, you order it online for about £16 and it arrives from the Netherlands a couple of weeks later. If you are travelling around Europe before July and after August, I highly recommend you get one. We have saved SO much money with this card and the app is great for finding campsites (they also send you a book). We have found that if we stay at a campsite for 3 nights using the ACSI card we will pay a bill of about €51 instead of €72, which is more than a nights camping!&nbsp;(They didn't pay me to say this, its just a really good thing to do!)</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Inside Our Inflatable Home" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7064/26878796932_ce54f987fd_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">So camping is fairly cheap but the tolls are not. To be honest we didn’t do our research on tolls and we really should have. We got completely stung getting off the Eurotunnel at Calais on the drive down to Normandy, it was toll after toll and a 4 hour drive cost us over €22. We have found they are often unavoidable though, as we regularly do 4 plus hour drives in between campsites, this would take 6-8 on non toll roads and when you have to put a tent up in the same day, we’d rather take the quicker option! Tolls have definitely been one of our biggest expenses on this trip, which has really surprised us. Also, as we have just arrived in to Austria we have had to buy a vignette which you display in your car window, it costs just over €8 for 10 days so not too terrible and they do check you have one (you can buy them from petrol stations). When we head in to Germany later this week we'll also need to buy an Umweltplakette to have on display so they know our car is of low emissions.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home Dordogne" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7535/26509371683_452e762383_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">French roads are lovely, well maintained with no potholes and the service stations are brilliant. French camping in general is a very pleasant experience, the campsites are usually of a high standard and will include hot water and toilet roll.</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7585/27221894943_d6b53db23d_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Italy however is basically one big pot hole (even on tolls) and if you even think about stopping for petrol on the motorway, make sure you get up to speed before exiting the petrol station! Driving in London has certainly given us good practise for driving over here, the roads are very fast and they practically drive on your bumper. There is absolutely no room for mistakes! Took a wrong turn? Tough.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Camping in Italy is different to France (and now Austria we have found out). It's not unusual to charge for showers (50 cents) and won’t supply loo roll and will often have Turkish toilets…&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">But! Pretty much every Italian campsite we stayed at had a restaurant that sold cheap, good quality pizza…so you win some, you lose some!&nbsp;</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Castel Camping le Brevedent" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7160/26726302001_0a4808affe_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">A huge part of camping is the noise at campsites, and this comes in all varieties. There are the birds chirping away at the crack of dawn right next to your head and then there’s the owls keeping you awake most of the night with their beeping. And don't forget, you are at the mercy of your neighbours. We have had some great neighbours who have read quietly all night and then silently zip up and sleep in till 10am (yeah right), but we have also had the neighbours in the camper van who open and close and open and close and open and close their door until 2am and then they are up with larks discussing how good a nights sleep they had. Oh and don’t forget Chief Nose Blower, just when you think you’ve lucked out with your pitch and your neighbours are a good distance away…he’ll start honking away just as you’re drifting off.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">But thats all part of camping and I’ve slowly learnt to embrace it and not complain but to try and laugh…sometimes.</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-9995" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7525/27080618706_bef73b340a_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">In Europe on top of the pitch fee they will also charge a tourist tax which I think is ridiculous. Oh yes, tax us an extra euro each for every night we stay on top of going to your restaurants and supporting your local businesses and blogging about your lovely area to visit. Please do. Also, we have started to discover green tax which I think is made up and is €2.50 per night…</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Camping La Pointe, Brittany" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7307/26229956004_58b18b0a15_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We’ve got pretty good with camp cooking over the past 2 months. We only have two gas hobs to cook on so its often veggies with a homemade sauce, or pasta or curry or something similar - pretty much the same as what we ate back home but without the stuff we used to put in the oven to have on the side (spring rolls, garlic bread etc etc), so its doing my stomach some good! We don’t have a cool box so we make sure we buy fresh food for only a couple of days in advance and then go shopping again.&nbsp; We keep all the staples in though and get a bit panicky when we only have one tin of tomatoes left! To begin with we did buy butter and chocolate bars but when the butter turned to liquid all over the table top and the chocolate wouldn’t harden as it was too hot so we had to eat it with a spoon, we stopped buying them (I know this sounds quite nice but in reality its just a big chocolate mess, everywhere! And then the ants come…).</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Our_Inflatable_Home-9675" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7099/26904592121_526c606841_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Out of season camping is brilliant, you really don’t need to book. Every single campsite we have arrived at has had ample room and the choice of pretty much any pitch you want but we did find at the start of our trip (beginning of May) there wasn’t much open - like the campsite restaurant or often the tourist attractions but this has changed since getting into June. We haven’t been camping in high season in Europe before so we’re a little apprehensive with how its going to be. We’ve heard nightmare stories of not being able to get in to campsites at all and after looking in our camping books we have noticed the prices can easily slide up to €40 a night…bonkers! Every campsite we stayed at in France said they were already pretty much booked up for the high season - and they were as of last year!&nbsp;</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7307/27059721343_18613a2681_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We have found that we definitely need structure to the tent, everything needs its place otherwise it becomes frustrating and that is where the blame game starts ('where did you put the...etc') Also, we both have our own jobs to do when we arrive and leave a campsite to make life easier!</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7583/27569472652_dfe5969d09_b.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">One of the hardest things about camping is the weather. We can handle the rain just about but its the strong winds that are the hardest. Its super loud inside and can bend the tent in half (literally) and puts a lot of strain on the tent. But also, when its 30 degrees outside you can’t sit in the tent as its an oven which is usually fine but on the off chance you fancy a nap...no chance! But we have really really loved being outside pretty much all the time, especially as we have gone from living in flats with no gardens for the past 7 years!&nbsp;</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Map 8 weeks in" height="768" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7348/27866285521_7dc7356de3_b.jpg" width="1024" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">So I think thats it for now, I'll do another one at the end of the trip with our findings of Germany and the Netherlands.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">But one thing that we are 100% sure on - is that Europe is just bloody marvellous.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-18775382810350730372016-06-27T11:54:00.000-07:002016-06-27T11:54:11.493-07:00MAP: 8 WEEKS IN<img alt="Map 8 weeks in" height="1200" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7348/27866285521_958fc94dd3_h.jpg" width="1600" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><br />Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-65965723870073910312016-06-26T09:48:00.000-07:002016-06-26T09:48:25.399-07:00INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA<div class="p1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bdpb7o-t0Po/V3AEk1XsUvI/AAAAAAAAAKM/u7gLK4cCSLA0ab0tizzjciO5ns-6Q3cfgCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2407.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Thursday we arrived at Camping <a href="http://www.natterersee.com/" target="_blank">Ferienparadies Natterer See</a> in a lovely little village called Natters just outside Innsbruck in Austria. The campsite is huge, its one of those big holiday parks as the lake it is on - Natterer See, is a very popular with visitors outside the campsite. We came to this site as its on our ACSI discount which ends at the end of June so we are trying to get the most use out of it. I don’t think we’d usually stay at a site like this, its really busy with a high turn over of campers everyday, so that means its very noisy with a constant stream of new arrivals and we found we were camped pretty close to our neighbours which isn’t the end of the world but when they wake up at 6:30…its not the best! The site had the most amazing shower facilities though, similar to a hotel actually with hairdryers and huge mirrors. The biggest negative of this site was the internet prices- they charge €15 a day for access which is bonkers so we certainly didn’t bother but the biggest positive was the free hourly bus they provide to get to Innsbruck which we took full advantage of.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p2"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhiJtPID5N4/V3ABlnNhzHI/AAAAAAAAAJE/VKkNF7orclIcBnLT9taxA-x94r3bXZRFQCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2363.jpg" /></div>On the Friday it was my birthday so we celebrated with pastries and tea in the morning and then took the bus to Innsbruck for the day. Obviously we hunted down the best pizza place to go to for lunch which was at a place called Sapori and it was very tasty indeed!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wC50wppLxKk/V3AE3s4qZgI/AAAAAAAAAKU/w9w3S6EO4aMpLHBoiRMoVg1OGEsXO-MuQCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2396.jpg" /></div></div><div class="p1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H5tMA4p1PhU/V3AAvkAcawI/AAAAAAAAAIk/_2-qghdsnJ8GDRIhBuXQIW5ln6XMlVIDgCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2383.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B-ZsOfoxE-A/V3AA3NyaL8I/AAAAAAAAAIs/xavKpjR-hbQ-NIuV7CRuWSyU9hQmqJhJQCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2378.jpg" /><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Sadly the day was tainted with the news of the UK leaving the EU which I still can’t make any sense of. I don’t really understand how people look at Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and even Donald Trump and think the lies they are spouting are the best decisions for our country. This can’t be any kind of progression in any way. What a sad day it is for the generations who are going to have to live with this decision and it breaks my heart that we seem to live in such a divided country. Anyway. I don’t want to dwell on that here as this is a travel blog after all, we have talked about it so much over the past few days and have actually decided to move to Innsbruck!<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjJ_TdT4Vck/V3ABOfx1j2I/AAAAAAAAAI0/B98wTpeFFhkivmcp2-NyV0K9KbJ4WVulACLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2385.jpg" style="text-align: center;" />Only joking…but we really did fall in love with the place. What a great city! It’s diverse (ahem), has lots of culture, its a university city so lots going on, it has quite a small city centre so we found we could walk everywhere no problem, beautiful well kept parks, all the shops you could need - independent and high street, cheap good quality beer and so many vegan/veggie friendly places we were spoilt for choice. The shops even sell plenty of soya products which we were very pleased with as Italy and France don’t really bother at all. It pretty much has everything we would want from a place to live in…but apparently its hard to actually get a place to rent as they are in such high demand and sadly I doubt two jobless, non German speaking Brits would be at the top of the list! But if you haven’t already been I highly recommend you go, its got a lot to offer.&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hMWzuij_OOQ/V3ABw9GZZXI/AAAAAAAAAJM/urgUcjw7rCIfyAdKG0JycHuZn0nxpTm1QCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2371.jpg" style="text-align: justify;" /><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V-xvJyIw6v4/V3AB7BKWR6I/AAAAAAAAAJU/iN5SMmB1OuY8DQYOMLzAqh96TISIBBJ2gCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2387.jpg" style="text-align: justify;" /></span></div></div><div class="p1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tn2RXy91vz0/V3ACTAs_CbI/AAAAAAAAAJg/wctjz8RcewU5mktCMqrJR4pv4NaQgLfaQCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2430.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75bUOg-Fzic/V3ADsnLmZfI/AAAAAAAAAJw/it6wJrJRL24yADUf3SEpB_8HOuQSpRlEgCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2422.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zq-CgwZtat8/V3AFCkyo2pI/AAAAAAAAAKg/_tdiMGve_5gjw5UKZ3xjnO227dPaRO1CgCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2405.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We only had two whole days at this campsite and although it was about 32 degrees there was a constant threat of thunderstorms and rain - which often happen in the evening. For our last day we visited Innsbruck again to get some food and to explore areas we didn’t visit the day before. We had a super tasty natural curry and huge side salad (again, with the option of vegan food!) and made it back to the tent before the heaviest down pour of rain we’ve had on this trip happened!&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gL7Iz8_DAJw/V3ABbxid2qI/AAAAAAAAAI8/8GTzrnNCrEsArSidX2YsrP3XnJsInV7IACLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2411.jpg" /></div></div><div class="p2"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h7thDiCLCWg/V3AGnGKN-yI/AAAAAAAAALE/j8X-MXP9eN8NQJiFBPleu82Y3BbdVGCwwCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2417.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UnKNlOHj9Tk/V3AESbiky4I/AAAAAAAAAKA/iYbdWMSyTZYaptrhtZgdrgsqcWTU7JclQCLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2427.jpg" /><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5X6lu0ZlKY4/V3AEAgfO8NI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/eqcYBrGe-O0Q-sujW-Rw41_LysIdV7cwACKgB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2401.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2l2L7jXsY-s/V3AFU-TVgYI/AAAAAAAAAKo/TKlOEx2RB_oaumd8NwxRU9a0GIgcmCrLACLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2400.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9pGylxpLo0/V3AFce8UPdI/AAAAAAAAAK0/uRTymUCc9ZE44LkRm_An1cG8_55r46VOACLcB/s1600/Our_Inflatable_Home-2437.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously we had to try a traditional pastry before we left!&nbsp;</div></div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-78303796925048629852016-06-22T03:26:00.003-07:002016-06-22T03:26:51.891-07:00OUR LAST STOPS IN ITALY<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7585/27221894943_d649575f95_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So here we are, almost 8 weeks in to our trip and enjoying our last day in sunny Italy. Tomorrow we make the journey in to Austria and then on to Germany for all the bratwurst I can eat and all the dunkel weizen Steven can drink. We are currently sat outside the <strike>oven</strike>&nbsp;tent near a little town called Arsie (ha!) just near the Dolomites and its half 11 in the morning and 28 degrees, wowzers! The tent is so hot that the peaches have stewed and I'm pretty sure the eggs have boiled but I am very glad we have a canopy we can sit under to escape the sun. The past few days have been fairly quiet, we left lovely Opi (our favourite stay in Italy) and drove 4 hours north to an area called Marche. <a href="http://www.podereseipoorte.it/" target="_blank">The campsite </a>was lovely, a very nice welcome of free drinks and ran by a Dutch family, I think there were about 100 campers there with only us and another couple who weren't from the Netherlands, it was a taste of Holland in Italy that's for sure!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="1500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7440/27555580530_153962a532_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;I got a serious case of laziness whilst we were there though and we really didn't do very much apart from a visit to the local fortified town and a drive around the area which reminded us very much of the rolling hills of Yorkshire. I think it must have been a mix of the heat and the length we have been travelling as I still haven't really shook the tiredness!&nbsp;</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="1500" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7633/27757656501_9117177b10_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="1500" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7579/27555648950_e367320f6c_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7363/27757684251_e7f4166c2c_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="1500" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7087/27757712381_1ee171a7e9_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After Marche we drove another 4 hours north to where we are now. We wanted to visit the lakes in Italy but after looking at campsites at Lake Garda, they all looked quite commercial and not what we were after at all. So we have come to Lake Corlo which is very beautiful and the view from our campsite isn't bad at all - and it's very nice to visit areas we haven't heard of before because isn't that what travelling is all about? The campsite facilities are the best we have had on this trip too - and we have wifi from our tent so it will be hard to leave tomorrow!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7562/27555754110_a3de082cdb_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="1500" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7036/27732412132_574a2e0730_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We've been on a lovely walk around the lake and mainly enjoying the weather and perfecting our arrabbiata sauce which I have to say is tasting like the real deal now.<br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="1500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7384/27555688000_c7d114e39c_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Italy" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7289/27221870213_657f64f819_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />See you in Austria!Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-32595881875652923072016-06-19T06:41:00.001-07:002016-06-19T06:41:47.496-07:00MAP: 7 WEEKS IN<img alt="Our Inflatable Home, Marche" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7273/27695379641_8f37def748_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />We are 7 weeks in to our trip today! Im not sure where the time has gone, it only feels like its been about 3 weeks. Scary to think we are almost half way in...and we're still going strong! Yeahhh!Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-63670578959917951162016-06-16T08:28:00.000-07:002016-06-16T08:28:12.650-07:00OPI, ITALY<img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="750" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7455/27430462970_4679b9a3fa_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7700/27096337484_04936991da_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After the madness of Sorrento we wanted to stay somewhere a bit quieter, so we checked the ACSI app and headed 3 hours north to a lovely campsite just outside Opi which is part of the National Park of Abruzzo. The drive to the campsite was the most beautiful yet of our trip, mountains all around us as we kept going up and up, climbing the winding narrow mountain roads with hairpin corners. The campsite we're staying at is called <a href="http://www.campingvecchiomulino.it/camping.html" target="_blank">Camping Il Vecchio Mulino</a> and is quite a big site (not a commercial one) but still very quiet this time of year, the altitude is 1070 metres but doesn't feel like it once you're here. It's in the perfect place for instant walks through the National Park which is the most stunning and untouched area.</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="1500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7442/27674608546_2bd4dd2615_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="750" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7550/27096211664_81b81965f3_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7688/27633989061_0808407272_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="1500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7400/27096423274_9bc088bd93_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7196/27674478886_195d5b8901_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7203/27708910915_1074a2ed78_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">When we arrived we felt instantly relaxed and have spent most of our time here walking, climbing mountains and making nice food, oh and hanging out with the campsite dog! He took an instant liking to us when we arrived and then proceeded to sleep under our tent canopy each night. When Steven opened the tent one morning he was so happy to see him he came bounding over jumping up and trying to lick him and then followed him to the shower block where he waited outside.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One day we hiked up a mountain - with the dog showing us the way, of course! Half way up I was starting to struggle - (I'll put it down to the high altitude and the heat alright) and we were having a rest on a rock when our two 71 year old neighbours from the campsite came trotting up like it was a walk in the park! They beat us to the top and back to the bottom again and were sat at their camper van with a glass of wine by the time we returned!</div><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="750" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7697/27708577145_327f25aa2a_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7270/27633877261_9964b88ea9_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7397/27430459380_73c81a0729_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7122/27674594776_fc62c31f54_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="1500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7545/27096443074_204db7439f_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7565/27098186793_80cfc39d4b_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7286/27096444274_824a33b76a_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - OPI" height="1500" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7232/27098085893_13f04c4dca_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So we move on tomorrow, <strike>when we're going to steal the dog</strike> making our way slightly further north for the next few nights, we're hoping to be in Austria by the end of June or perhaps a little earlier but we're not in any rush so we'll just keep going little by little. </div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-36397298300069912622016-06-16T02:51:00.000-07:002016-06-16T02:51:36.446-07:00MAP: 6 WEEKS IN<img alt="Our Inflatable Home - 6 weeks" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7756/27705265565_d39f2e0b41_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-29360646814102970592016-06-16T02:49:00.000-07:002016-06-16T02:49:08.884-07:00VIDEO: SORRENTO, ITALY<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-02Mq0pEWAQ" width="740"></iframe><br /><br />Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-86568534295583710722016-06-14T09:16:00.003-07:002016-06-14T09:16:55.941-07:00SORRENTO<div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7463/27670130105_56a1214a08_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the places we were most excited about visiting on this trip was Sorrento - and of course seeing the Amalfi Coast. In my last job (as a picture editor on a magazine) I had researched images many a time for this area of Italy and it always looked so unbelievably beautiful. The drive from our campsite near Florence to the one we found in Sorrento took a whopping 6 hours (in a car with no air conditioning might I add!) and cost us an almighty €29 in tolls (either that or an 11 hour drive on non toll roads…). I don’t think we were quite prepared for the drive in to Sorrento though, I mean we are used to driving in London which is no mean feat but this was another level! The mopeds, the cars, the beeping! Everywhere!&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="1500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7619/27059722283_f4eca3dfd5_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">We booked into a campsite called <a href="http://www.nubedargento.com/en/" target="_blank">Camping Nube d'Argento</a> just a 5 minute walk from central Sorrento and I think it was a bit of a shock to the system if I’m honest. Up until this point we have been used to fairly quiet campsites on the outskirts of small towns or a little bit of a drive away from cities, but this one is right in middle of it all. The main road runs directly above the campsite but we were ready for a bit of energy and to be able to walk most places rather then rely on the car as much.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7201/27595687581_befecf0e5f_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">I’d definitely recommend the campsite if you’re in the area, we paid about €24 a night (I wonder what the people in the hotel next to our campsite were paying?!) including electricity and the facilities are fine - they supply loo roll which weirdly is a thing at Italian campsites (so is trying to find ones that don’t charge 50 cents to use the shower), and they serve wood fired pizzas from the onsite restaurant and have a large pool. The owners/people on the reception were probably the rudest people we have ever ever come across though (I won’t go into it) and I was so angry and totally ready to write a bad Trip Advisor review (that’ll show ‘em!) until I saw the view from our tent. It was just perfect. Mount Vesuvius standing right there and the sea in front of us. Instantly in holiday mode.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7307/27059721343_d60274050f_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7221/27057998284_eb6c30fde9_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">After putting the tent up we headed in to Sorrento for a mooch around to get our bearings and wowzers, what a shock we had. I did not realise just how British Sorrento is! I don’t think anybody has mentioned this to me before?? There seems to be a lot of English, Irish and Scottish bars and pretty much everywhere we went we could hear English accents following us around. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, I just didn’t realise this is what it was like!</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="1500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7680/27634872666_ae4b2b76da_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">Whilst we were there we celebrated Stevens birthday, with pizza - obviously! Through a recommendation we went to Francos (can’t be a coincidence that our favourite pizza place in London is called Franco Mancas?!) and it was so good.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7697/27391580670_468e486aa3_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">The kind of place with long benches to sit at, plastic cutlery and the most amazing tomato base. No frills, just the way we like it! Along side the pizza we shared a lump of grilled smoked cheese with olives and chilli - amazing.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7305/27057996444_f23d7b56e1_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7299/27634875176_a4c9233043_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1">We had a couple of beers and headed off for some gelato!&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="1500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7690/27058000634_cd8df64d9e_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">Whilst we are travelling around on this trip we realistically can’t do every tourist attraction or see everything we want to as money just won’t allow it, which can get kinda hard in Italy as they really do charge for everything. We thought a lovely boat ride out to Capri would be ideal as a friend of mine had just recently been and it looked stunning…but then we found out the ferry cost €16.20 one way (25 mins) each, so that would be nearly €70 just to travel there and back, ridiculous!&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">So instead we took the SITA bus out to Positano on the Amalfi Coast and had a lovely couple of hours wandering around -the bus trip however, is not so lovely…they certainly make use of every last bit of space available but for a €10 round trip for the both of us we weren’t complaining! (much)&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7219/27569479542_d8dab874b8_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7783/27595681301_45771e9fd9_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7077/27634865456_504df9f240_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7418/27569475912_9607298a02_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="1500" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7474/27391573300_7976d6ee26_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">We also visited Pompeii which was so interesting and really enjoyable, especially when we were picking up bits of information from passing tour guides.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7471/27670114565_8b56396a23_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="1500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7416/27391563080_feb0d3b388_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7302/27634844346_70d68abdc2_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7362/27634858736_7b91e1da2f_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">My recommendation is to go early though as by the time we were leaving just after 1pm, the queue was huge (also, if you go on the first Sunday of the month its free!)</div></div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="1500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7339/27595680771_8ddc13e3da_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">My favourite day was when we went on a beautiful walk up in to the Sorrento hills passing through lemon groves and little villages, although the heat got the better of me a few times the views up there were worth it.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="p2"><img alt="Sorrento" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7362/27670119155_2966f4bbb1_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><div style="text-align: justify;">So after spending 5 nights in Sorrento we decided it was time to move on. The hustle and bustle, the constant smell of petrol in the air, the humidity took its toll a bit and we left in search of calmer surroundings…which we seem to have found!&nbsp;</div></div><br />Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-63638508781023693282016-06-07T05:26:00.000-07:002016-06-07T05:26:25.344-07:00VIDEO: FLORENCE, ITALY<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3oLNwIOQ0gM" width="740"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I had some fun making a stop motion video while we were in Florence for the day.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This area of Italy has been lovely, the sun has been shining and the <a href="http://www.campingchianti.it/" target="_blank">campsite has been great&nbsp;</a>, we've only had 3 nights here so it has gone very quickly but a great stop off. Tomorrow we have a long drive down to Sorrento where we will celebrate Steven's birthday and hopefully stay for a week or so to make sure we get to see everything we want to, or we might stay even longer...who knows!&nbsp;</div><br />Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-55716696092736232642016-06-07T03:50:00.000-07:002016-06-07T03:50:16.269-07:00MAP: 5 WEEKS IN<img alt="Our Inflatable Home" height="667" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7576/27420393912_c655ef1d57_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-74068614134561686432016-06-06T11:36:00.000-07:002016-06-06T11:36:36.473-07:00ITALY!<div class="p1"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - Italy" height="667" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7337/27433366531_e6c279b218_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We have made it to Italy! After extending our stay in the south of France up to 10 days we thought it was about time we moved on to the next part of our adventure. We are now 5 weeks into this trip, wowzers! &nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">The journey out of the south of France and into Italy was…well…a little underwhelming. Expensive tolls and a small sign saying Welcome to Italy (or similar) and really bad roads - they really don’t spend any money on road maintenance, even on the toll roads!&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">There was also some torrential rain to greet us which was a bit of a shock to the system after sunning ourselves for the past week.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">We decided our first stop in Italy would be near the Cinque Terre with the hope of exploring the north west coast a bit and perhaps a visit to Genova, a bit of a touristy area but a good start to explore the country. We pulled up at the planned campsite, a lovely Italian lady checked us in, making jokes about the rain and then told us it was an Italian bank holiday for the next 4 days… yippee. She then started being a bit vague with the pricing, apparently we had timed it that well that high season was starting tomorrow…at the beginning of June…lucky us. But not to worry as its only a couple of euros more a night and that will then take us up to €32 a night (!!). Prior to this we have been paying an average of €18 a night so it was a bit of a shock! We drove round to the pitch to find that it was pretty much flooded due to the amount of rain, had a quick look at the (lack of) facilities, noted that the motorway was running just above the campsite…and hot footed our way out of there. We bombed it down the motorway to a <a href="http://www.campingarenella.it/" target="_blank">campsite we found</a> on the ACSI app (highly recommend if camping out of season) where it was a little rough round the edges but perfectly fine for what we wanted - and at €17 a night we couldn’t complain!&nbsp;</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">The rain still hadn’t stopped and trying to put a tent up in the rain is not much fun for anyone (except maybe the spectators who are nice and dry in their caravans). Things were just on the brink of exploding when a nice Dutch lady from the caravan opposite popped over to offer us a place to dry out, some tea, coffee and coconut macaroons. I could have cried with happiness!</div><div class="p1"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - Italy" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7310/27471033606_99260518a0_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - Italy" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7549/26896239054_1a669dc886_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">The next day there was a break in the rain so we headed to see the Cinque Terre, we decided to go by boat to see the views from the sea - and so we didn’t get caught up in tourist train mainia on dry land (no cars allowed). It was nice, the afternoon was perfectly pleasant but I don’t think I’d recommend anyone to go out of their way to visit it (am I allowed to say that about a protected site?!). It’s just all bit too touristy - I know we are tourists too, but it was just a bit much.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - Italy" height="667" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7463/26896247434_a4d2d1f4ac_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">And then it rained and rained and rained for the remainder of our stay in this area. It got a little hairy at one point as we were camped on the other side of a ford running through the campsite which then rose so much it resembled more of a river and no one could leave until it went down. The Italian campsite owners were so relaxed about the whole thing though that I thought I might as well get my airbed out and have a trip down the river!</div><div class="p1"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - Italy" height="667" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7687/26897649343_5223f00c53_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1"><img alt="Our Inflatable Home - Italy" height="667" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7294/27406483022_f38f5db3a9_o.jpg" width="1000" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">Sadly we didn’t get to see much more of this area due to the weather but we did make it out of the campsite without sending the car down the river and we have just arrived at our second Italian site not too far from Florence…where the sun is shining! Yippee!&nbsp;</div><div class="p2">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556052134118778663.post-85891353333179883632016-05-30T14:24:00.001-07:002016-05-30T14:24:56.581-07:00VIDEO: SOUTH OF FRANCE<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1EXb3QCi3Uk" width="740"></iframe>Our Inflatable Homehttps://plus.google.com/107760257055411308511noreply@blogger.com2